Higher Effort. Lower Yield — MCGI Posted All-Time Low

Shiela Manikis
Jan 15
2 min read

Apalit / Global Coordinating Centers — MCGI’s latest publicly shared baptism count reports 875 newly baptized “as of January 10, 2026.” In the Post-MCGI Society intake series, that figure is treated as a low watermark, especially when set beside the organization’s own earlier era of “thousands” per cycle.

This matters for one reason: it’s not simply “numbers down.” It’s numbers down while public-facing programs continue — lugaw drives, charity activity designed for visibility, ongoing mobilization, and a structured indoctrination-to-baptism pipeline. The working paper Diminishing Returns cites the 875 figure as an outcome marker within its “diminishing returns” discussion: rising labor burden alongside falling recruitment yield. ([Post-MCGI Society][1])

People in formal attire stand in a line indoors, with a screen displaying "Mass Indoctrination." Warm lighting; mood is solemn.

MCGI itself has documented what “high yield” used to look like. In 2021, the group’s official website reported “more than 9,000 souls” added through baptism in March, framing it as record-setting momentum. That contrast 9,000 then, 875 now makes the scale of change visible even to casual observers. ([MCGI.org][2])

The Post-MCGI Society paper proposes a specific mechanism for how this kind of decline can occur. It argues that charity functions as a kind of legitimacy currency — produced through unpaid member labor and used to build public trust and recruitment access. It further argues that when charitable activity becomes highly repeatable, mass-produced and staged for visibility, its persuasive signal can weaken over time. ([Post-MCGI Society][1])

And the 875 figure is not presented only as commentary. Screenshots and reposts circulating on MCGI-aligned social pages show the same “Newly Baptized Brethren 875” graphic dated to January 10, reinforcing that this is the number being carried publicly inside the ecosystem. ([Facebook][3])

So the news is not only that baptisms declined, but that the publicly shared count aligns with a late-stage “diminishing returns” reading: continuing legitimacy production (events, visibility, mobilization) alongside lower reported intake. ([Post-MCGI Society][1])